Never End
by CataclysmicPyrotech
Summary: This is a Yogscast Tekkit story, set after Rythian fights the Enderdragon and Zoey comes back to Blackrock, but before she tries to disarm the nuke. Things in the Nether are not quite right, and there is one person who could hold the answer as to why.
1. The Red Labyrinth

**Hello there! This is my first fan fiction and I've had this idea for ages running around at the back of my mind. I've decided to write it, and hopefully it won't be terrible. Please let me know by reviewing it: I would really appreciate it if you took the time to write a review, even if it's bad, as long as it explains why, because I will take it as constructive criticism. Sorry...I'm kinda rambling now. Goodbye for now!**

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He had looked away only for a second, but in the maze of red that was the Nether, a second was all it took to lose her.

Rythian searched all around, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Zoey!" he called out as he franticly looked around. He even allowed himself to fly a short way to search higher, carefully, before landing again quickly to avoid taking too much damage.

"Zoey! Where are you?" he cried out, panic rising in his voice, "Seriously, come back!"

"Look Rythian! I found a fortress!" Her voice came from just around the corner, and he felt relieved when he saw her come running excitedly back to where he was. She looked at him curiously for a moment, as if contemplating why he had looked so worried.

_Of course she's fine, _he told himself, _stop overreacting._

"Uh…that's great!" he managed to reply, after recovering from his momentary panic "But we already found one, remember? We still have some nether brick back at Blackrock."

"Yeah, but this one might have Nether wart. We never got any before." Zoey replied as she walked back in the direction she had come from. Rythian followed, not wanting to lose her again, as they walked through a tunnel filled with mushrooms. After a few metres the tunnel opened up into a vast cavern, glowstone formations splattered all over the roof and a boiling lake of lava flooding the ground. This lake acted as a moat for the gigantic fortress towering above everything, almost reaching the top of the cavern.

Rythian couldn't help but breathe a sigh of amazement at the imposing structure stood in front of him. He had never seen a fortress as huge, nor as sinister as the one he faced. He walked with Zoey across the bridge leading to the shadowy entrance and stepped inside. They explored for what seemed like hours, but with no time in the Nether it was impossible to tell just how long they spent roaming the corridors and dimly lit rooms.

After they had searched every inch of the fortress, hardly saying a word as they stared in awe at the complex maze of rooms, Zoey spoke up.

"Rythian! Do you see that?" she gasped suddenly.

"What? I don't see anything" he replied, trying to see exactly where she was looking.

"Over there! It's an enderman!"

_No. It couldn't be. Not here. She must be imagining things,_ Rythian reassured himself.

"It's gone now, but I _swear_ I saw one. I'm not imagining it." She said, as if reading his thoughts. "Why would there be an enderman here? Maybe it just came through our portal. It couldn't get here another way, could it? Rythian?

But Rythian had gone silent, lost in his own thoughts. He could hear it again – that voice in the back of his mind that he always forced himself to ignore. It was trying to talk to him, and he was fighting a mental battle against himself to not let it in. The strain must have shown on his face, because Zoey started to look at him with concern. Eventually he managed to force the voice back, but not before it had given him a message:

_We will conquer. Join us, Rythian._

He broke away from the voice, but the heavy, tired feeling he always experienced when it invaded his mind remained weighing down on him, and the cryptic message reverberated inside his head. He only managed to regain full consciousness when he suddenly realised that something was wrong.

"Zoey, have you noticed? There aren't any blaze spawners in the whole fortress. The pigmen don't seem to want to come near either." He didn't mention the dark presence he could feel in the air, but he worried that maybe Zoey hadn't been imagining things when she had seen the enderman.

"Zoey?" She hadn't answered, but he couldn't have lost her again. "Zoey, please come out. It's not funny" He drew his katar, fearing the worst when she still didn't reply, but froze when he heard a voice behind him.

"Drop your sword!" cried a girl's voice, but it wasn't Zoey. "Drop your sword or she falls!"

Rythian spun around to see Zoey being held over the edge of the fortress by a girl covered in scorch marks, a red sword in her hand which she held against Zoey's throat. He could tell he would overpower her easily, and he knew Zoey would never have let herself get caught if she hadn't been taken by surprise, but he didn't want to risk anything happening to Zoey in a fight and he obliged. He lay his katar down on the ground and nudged it towards the girl with his foot before stepping back and putting his hands up.

"OK. Now take me to your portal!" The girl picked up the katar and slid it into her belt before readjusting her hold on Zoey so she could walk. Rythian hesitated, but started to move immediately when he saw a thin line of blood appear on Zoey's neck. A thousand questions were going through his mind. _Who was this girl? Why was she so desperate to get out? Why didn't she have her own portal? _He pushed these questions to one side and led the way out of the cavern, back down the tunnel towards the obsidian gateway that led to the surface world.

As soon as the portal came into view, the girl let go of Zoey and sprinted across the netherrack to the glowing wall of purple. Rythian expected her to run straight in, but she surprised him by hesitating at the last second. She took out his katar and dropped it, before nodding to him and jumping into the portal. Rythian realised he had been holding his breath, and let it out before turning to Zoey.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Considering I've just had a sword millimetres away from ending my life, I'm pretty good." She replied cheerfully.

"Um…I guess that's good…" Rythian said slowly, "I think we should get out of here"

"Yes. I think that would be a good plan."

"Let's go then." They jumped into the portal together, bracing themselves for the dizzying transition between worlds.


	2. Freedom

**OK. Here's the second chapter. I hope it doesn't disappoint you. It's almost the same length as chapter one, just a tiny bit longer. **

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The girl was alone; always alone. Pigmen didn't count as company – all they did was grunt and hoard gold. They tasted alright though. She was sick of the never ending seas of lava and the constant wail of ghasts, the dim light from the glowstone and the raging blazes burning everything they could get their hands on. She wanted to escape the Nether.

"Look Rythian! I found a fortress!" The voice startled the girl, as she wasn't used to hearing other people. She quickly sprinted up to the lookout tower in her fortress and saw a girl with red hair who looked a few years older than herself at the mouth of the tunnel leading away from the bridge. Her first thought was to hide, along with her few belongings which would certainly give away her presence if left around. But then she had another thought: _Rythian. She called out to someone called Rythian. That means there are two of them this time. I could use that to my advantage._

The thought quickly developed into a plan, as the girl realised this could be the perfect opportunity to escape. All she needed was a portal, and these two must have one nearby. She quickly picked up the items lying around her room and ran through her fortress so the pair wouldn't see her. She didn't have to worry about mobs getting in her way, as she had destroyed the blaze spawners long ago and pigmen had learned not to come near, or it would be the last thing they did. Just as she fled up a flight of stairs the redheaded girl, along with a boy, strode through the entrance to the fortress.

After what seemed like forever, sneaking around like a shadow, the girl finally saw that the boy and girl were about to leave. She crouched behind a low wall and waited for the perfect moment. It came sooner than expected, when the boy's eyes glazed over for a second before turning a deeper shade of purple. He was clearly in distress, even though he was trying to hide it. The girl realised she should take the opportunity and carry out her plan, but she suddenly felt a strange dark presence as she moved slightly closer - something she had felt before, but for the first time only recently.

She didn't hesitate for long though, and leaped forward, grabbing the girl and twisting around so she was held over the wall of the fortress. _What in Herobrine's name am I doing? _she asked herself as she held her netherrack sword up against the other girl's neck. _I have no other choice – I'm desperate, _she thought as she shouted out.

"Drop your sword!" She shouted to the boy. "Drop your sword or she falls!" She was slightly surprised when the boy immediately dropped his red sword and kicked it towards her. He was clearly too shocked to speak, or didn't know what to say as he took a step back. The girl picked up the sword and jammed it into her belt; to be sure the boy wouldn't pick it up again.

"OK. Now take me to your portal!" She ordered, trying not to let her nerves show in her voice as she readjusted her hold on her captive. The boy obliged and they walked back across the bridge and through the tunnel. After a short while, the portal came into view. The girl immediately sprinted towards it, not looking back until she was almost touching the pulsating purple wall. She stopped suddenly, surprising even herself as she grabbed the boy's sword and dropped it on the ground. She then stepped into the portal, and nodded to the pair as the world went blurry. Despite her actions over the last few minutes, she didn't want to hurt anyone, and wanted to show the boy and girl as much kindness as she could, even if it was only a nod of thanks.

However much the girl had anticipated this moment, it still came as a shock to see trees, grass, even a sheep grazing a few blocks away. The sky was a bright blue and the clouds were pure white, a seemingly infinite open space above her head. And then there was the wind: a refreshing breeze gently ruffling her hair and coming as a relief from the stifling heat of the Nether.

After she had taken in the colours, sounds and different feel of the surface world, the girl ran. She ran and didn't stop. She didn't stop as she ran through the tall grass, accidentally picking up seeds as she trampled it under her thick boots. She didn't stop as she ran through a desert, almost running straight into a cactus when familiar heat waves hit her unexpectedly. She didn't stop when she reached a jungle, with its impossibly tall trees, or when she found herself tingling as fresh snow landed on her arms. She didn't stop until the sun descended beyond the horizon, and she was left to stumble almost blindly into a small cave, which she sealed off with gravel and lit with a piece of glowstone.

The girl didn't like the dark. She'd never had to worry about it in the Nether, where time existed only as a memory in the minds of those from the Surface, and glowstone lit every crevice. She found the dark unnerving: she didn't know what was hiding in the shadows, ready to spring out at any second and attack. She sat still in the cave all night, waiting for the smallest crack of light to show through the gravel wall; the signal for a new day in a new world. It seemed to take a lifetime for the morning to come, but when it finally did the girl rushed out to greet the sun and embrace its warmth. She was more than ready for another day in the light. But she wasn't ready for the enderman.

It all happened in a few seconds: she turned around to find herself face to face with a dark creature, its eyes glowing bright purple, its mouth wide open showing rows of small, sharp teeth. The girl felt the same dark presence she had felt around the boy, confusing her and leaving her weak. She fell to the ground, all the energy sucked out of her. She caught one last glimpse of the tall figure silhouetted against the low sun, and then her world went black.

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**So yeah, that was chapter two. Please review to let me know how I'm doing. Hopefully I'll see you in chapter three. Bye for now.**


	3. The Guest

Zoey was relieved to be out of the house. Rythian had been a bit too overprotective the last couple of days – since the incident in the Nether – and she just wanted some time to herself. She was picking mushrooms in the swamp beside Blackrock, daydreaming and unconsciously humming a random tune. She had gone quite far already; nearly to the other side of the swamp biome, so she figured she should turn back soon.

She decided to wander a few more blocks to collect a group of red mushrooms sheltering underneath a tree, but stopped abruptly when she saw a flash of colour out of the corner of her eye. Zoey walked slowly towards the thing which had caught her attention, and realised as she got closer that it was a person. A person, who was unconscious, yet showed no signs of injury. Surely whoever it was wouldn't have just fallen asleep in the middle of a swamp.

Zoey edged closer to the figure on the ground and gasped when she saw their face. She recognised the person immediately as the girl from the Nether. Her instincts were telling her to run away, in case the girl woke up, but she resisted the urge. Despite her attack, the girl hadn't seemed particularly violent – just desperate. And she had given Rythian's katar back.

After a moment's thought, Zoey decided she should take the girl back to Blackrock. Rythian wouldn't like it in the slightest, but she didn't want to just leave the girl outside where mobs could attack her. The girl was light, so Zoey picked her up and flew back across the swamp. She entered the castle through the unroofed tower so as not to disturb Rythian downstairs, and lay the girl down on the single bed in the guest bedroom. Rythian never went in there anyway, so hopefully he wouldn't find the girl before she woke up and was able to explain herself.

* * *

When the girl eventually arose from her dreamless sleep, it took her a moment to remember what had happened. Then the memories rushed in and flooded her mind. The enderman, the dark feeling, the sense of panic, the confusion, and then black. She sat up quickly once she realised she was in an unfamiliar place, but felt dizzy. She tried to fight the feeling and stood up, determined to get her strength back. But then the boy she had encountered in the Nether entered the room, his expression like a storm. The world danced in front of her eyes, and she collapsed back on to the bed, his purple eyes glaring at her as she lost consciousness.

* * *

Rythian was furious. How could Zoey let this girl into their house? She had used her as a hostage for Notch's sake!He stormed into the guest bedroom to see the girl collapse on the bed. He drew his katar just as Zoey came running in behind him.

"No! Don't hurt her!" she cried, "She hasn't had time to explain herself yet!"

"But she could have killed you!" he replied, his voice raised in anger.

"Yes, but she didn't. I told you she was here so you wouldn't hurt her." The girl was waking up again, and Rythian lowered his katar as she opened her eyes, but did not put it away.

"Who are you?" he demanded. He paused for a moment before repeating the question. "Who are you, and why did you attack Zoey?" It was Zoey who answered his second question.

"I think it's perfectly clear _why_ she attacked me. She needed a way out of the Nether. She was desperate." The girl nodded in agreement, looking scared as Rythian's eyes bored into hers.

"OK. But you still haven't answered my _first_ question. Who are you?" Rythian asked yet again, starting to lose his temper.

"Sinder. My name's Sinder." The girl replied after brief hesitation.

"OK, Sinder, would you like to stay here for a while?" Zoey asked, smiling at her.

"…Zoey…Can I talk to you…outside?" Rythian said, his voice trembling with anger. They walked out of the room together, downstairs and out the front door.

* * *

Zoey knew she was going to have to endure a rant about her safety, blah, blah, blah, and she pretended to listen while Rythian listed all the reasons why they shouldn't let a girl they barely knew stay with them.

"You don't even know who she is! She could be spying for Duncan for all we kno-"

"Stop. Just stop. I feel like I can trust her. I don't know why. Anyway, she needs our help and I intend to give it to her. I don't care what you say."

"But…"

"No. No buts. She's staying. Unless _she_ doesn't want to of course. But you never gave her time to answer that question, did you? Exactly." With that Zoey walked back up the steps into Blackrock to see Sinder preparing to leave.

"Sinder. Do you have anywhere else to go?" she asked.

"No. No, I don't."

"Then why not stay here?"

"Well, _he_ clearly doesn't want me here and…um…after what happened…you know…?"

"Don't worry about that. I forgive you. Rythian does as well. Don't you?" she reassured Sinder, before turning to Rythian.

"Yeah, I guess so…" he reluctantly agreed.

"So, would you like to stay – truthfully?" Zoey asked Sinder for a final time.

"I guess so. Yes." Sinder replied. Zoey breathed a sigh of relief – it would have been embarrassing if Sinder had said no. She then realised she should give Sinder a tour of Blackrock and the surrounding area, since she had so far only seen the guest bedroom and hallway.

They walked around together while Rythian sulked in the magic room, clearly still not happy about Sinder staying. After touring the upstairs, Zoey proceeded to show Sinder the kitchen, where she noticed her eyeing the food storage.

"Sorry, I should have asked. Are you hungry?" she queried. Sinder nodded. "Would you like meat, or vegetables?" Sinder chose vegetables, to Zoey's gratification, and Zoey happily offered her a bowl of mushroom stew. They then ventured out to the farm, where Sinder was amazed by the mooshrooms most of all, and spent ages beside them.

"So how did you get stuck in the Nether in the first place then?" Zoey asked when conversation had run dry, but the question seemed to catch Sinder off guard and she fell off the wall she had been walking along.

"Um…it's a long story." Sinder replied after picking herself up off the ground. Zoey realised she didn't want to talk about it and abandoned the question.

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Sinder was happy - an emotion she had not felt in a long time. She was happy despite Rythian and the strange feeling she got when he came too close, a feeling almost as if he was trying to invade her mind, making her feel weakened and weary. But she had found her way out of the Nether, and she was safe, at least for now.


	4. The Scientist

**I have to give a lot of credit to my friend Lucy for this chapter. We wrote the conversation together and, although I've changed it a bit since then, this chapter wouldn't exist without her. Thank you! I hope you enjoy this chapter - please review it so I know. Reviews are always appreciated. Bye for now.**

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**Three weeks later**

Duncan was worried. He was uncomfortable because he knew there was something he didn't know. He thought about something he had heard a few years previously: _We should not be concerned so much about the known unknowns, but rather the unknown unknowns. _While that was true, he did not know what he didn't know was unknown to him, so at that time he needed to focus on what he had just learned was unknown to him. Something strange was happening in the Nether, and he couldn't explain it. That was what worried him.

All he knew was that something was wrong. And there was only one person who could help him explain it. That just so happened to be the person Duncan _least_ wanted to admit he needed help from. That person was Rythian.

Duncan set about preparing his tools and weapons for a visit to Blackrock Stronghold. He would definitely need his mining laser, yes, maybe some food, and some blocks, just in case – half a stack, that should be enough. Oh, and he should take the remote for the nuke to make sure no one stole it while he was away. He could easily make another one, but he didn't want to think about what Rythian would do if the remote got into the wrong hands, the button was pressed and Zoey was hurt in the blast. It wouldn't really be his fault, but Rythian didn't see it that way.

Once he had finished gathering supplies, Duncan flew out of his window and across the grassy plains towards Blackrock Stronghold. He could see the imposing structure silhouetted against the rising sun as he flew closer. He had to admit it looked impressive. He landed under cover of the trees in the swamp before glancing round to see if there was anyone ready to attack. When he saw the coast was clear, he walked straight towards the door and knocked three times. However, he hadn't anticipated what awaited him on the other side. When the door opened, the face he saw was not that of Rythian, or Zoey, but the face of a girl with burning eyes and long, red hair that seemed to glow like fire in the morning sun.

"Wha…who the Nether are you?" he asked, without really thinking.

"Well, that isn't a very nice way to introduce yourself. I could ask you the same question. In fact, I have more right to, seeing as it's _you_ who's knocked on _my_ door." She replied mysteriously.

"Wait, what? You don't live here!" Duncan answered back, dumbfounded.

"No, you don't live here." The girl said, speaking as if to a five year old.

""I never said I did. I wouldn't want to live here anyway – my castle is better than this pile of-"

"Then why are you here?" The girl cut him off.

"I…" Duncan sighed, before answering the question, "I need to speak to Rythian."

"I can pass on a message."

"No. No, it's something personal." The girl looked curiously at him, so he quickly added, "Personal to him. Look. I'm quite busy, and I don't have time for this."

The girl tilted her head to one side, before proclaiming, "I don't like you." Duncan was taken aback, but recovered and demanded to know why she thought so after only knowing him for a few minutes.

"But…you've just met me! How could you possibly judge whether you like me or not in only a couple of minutes?"

"Well, it seems clear to me that you're arrogant, egoistical and completely self-centred."

Duncan thought about this. He obviously didn't think he was self-centred, and wondered how this girl had figured out his character from only exchanging a few sentences with him.

"I'm just naturally good at reading people, to answer your question." She continued, as if reading his mind. "Yes, I know you were wondering why I thought that. No, I can't read your mind – I can read your expression. You know, I bet Rythian and Zoey don't like you either."

"You don't know that!"

"No, I don't, but I'll bet you everything you have in your possession right now that I'm right. Of course, if I'm wrong, you get all the stuff I have right now."

"I'm not betting you! I'm sure my stuff is way better than yours."

"You misjudge the power of a cookie." She took a cookie out of her pocket, and then took a bite out of it. "OK, half a cookie."

"Whatever. Just, please, let me speak to Rythian."

"Why would I let you in to _my_ house? I don't even know who you are."

Duncan hesitated, reluctant to tell this strange girl anything, before replying, "I'm a scientist."

"…I don't like scientists."

"Wha-! Why not?"

"Because you're one. I know I'm being stereotypical, but if all scientists are anything like you then I can be pretty sure I don't like them."

"That's…" Duncan sighed, before adjusting his goggles.

"Do you have anything to do with the big black box underneath the castle?"

"No. Of course not. Why would you think I did?"

"Well, if you didn't, you wouldn't know about it, so you kinda just gave yourself away there. Also, when I asked Rythian what it was, he went quiet and then just said 'science'. He glared at it and refused to say more, but he looked concerned…" She trailed off, immersed in the memory. She then snapped back to reality and looked at Duncan as if she was wondering if she had actually been talking out loud.

"Uh…yeah. OK. I did put it there. Happy now?"

"Well, I bet whatever it is doesn't work anyway."

"Hah! I think I know how to wire a bomb." Duncan replied confidently, but then winced once he realised he had given away what it was.

"So it's a bomb is it?" The girl questioned, suddenly looking interested.

"It's not just a bomb. It's a nuke! Three actually." Duncan gloated, showing off now he had given away the secret.

"Fair enough, but how are you going to set it off without blowing yourself up?"

"I have a remote." Duncan held up the remote for the girl to see. "This will trigger the explosion, while I'm safe at home in my castle."

"How do you know it works?"

"Because I tested it. I'm positive it works."

"Then why am I not standing in the middle of a crater?"

"I tested it before I put the nukes down, obviously."

"But you don't know if it works or not when the nukes are there."

"Don't be stupid! The nukes don't change anything."

"I think _you're_ the stupid one actually. You haven't even noticed the creeper behind you."

Duncan spun around, but he couldn't see any creepers. He then realised his mistake as the girl grabbed the remote from his hand while he was distracted.

"I rest my case." She said, smiling to herself at her victory.

"Hey! Give me that back!"

"No. I don't think I will. I don't want you blowing up my house."

"Fine. I don't care. I know the frequency. I can just make another one."

"Yeah, but you won't. You'll get distracted by other science stuff and never get around to it. What's so great about science anyways?"

"Everything! It's really powerful and-"

The girl cut him off, "Do you have anything as powerful as a red katar?"

"Yes actually, I have this." He pulled out his fully charged mining laser for her to see.

"Hmm…prove that's better than magic weapons. Shoot that skeleton over there." She pointed to a spot a few blocks behind him. Duncan turned around, but there was no skeleton. Instead the girl had taken his mining laser and was inspecting it.

"You're so gullible." She said. Duncan sighed yet again, before remembering the reason he had gone to Blackrock Stronghold in the first place.

"Can you just please let me speak to Rythian? It's important. Is he even here?" Duncan asked wearily.

"He is now." The girl replied, looking at a spot slightly above Duncan's head. Duncan turned around to see Rythian standing directly behind him, red katar drawn and held up threateningly.

"Hello, Duncan."


	5. Disruption

Rythian didn't like Duncan being anywhere near his house, and was determined to get rid of him as quickly as possible. He wasn't planning on listening to what Duncan had to say. Zoey wasn't too happy to see him either. However, when he started talking about the End, Rythian concentrated all of his attention on what Duncan was telling him.

"There's a problem with the Nether," he said, "A big problem. The End is…somehow…there. I don't know how to describe it but it's definitely _there_ somehow."

"What do you mean?" Rythian asked, his voice rose slightly, frustrated at Duncan's inability to explain the situation properly.

"I-it-it's hard to put into words. Go into the Nether and look for yourself."

"I was in the Nether three weeks ago! It's not exactly my favourite place you know."

"Three weeks? Are you sure you didn't notice anything then?"

"Well…"

"Well what? This could be important!"

"Zoey _said_ she saw an enderman, but when I looked there wasn't anything."

"OK, but she still saw it. You know better than anyone that endermen can teleport, right? So there's a good chance there was one. I really need you to answer me truthfully on this: did you feel anything? Anything…Enderish?"

Rythian was uncomfortable talking about this particular subject, but he knew it could be important and he replied after a short hesitation. "I…yes, I felt it, weakly, but yes, I did."

"Was that all? Did you just feel it? I have a feeling there's something you're not telling me."

His head started to throb, he felt heavy and tired as he spoke. "No, there was something else." But just as he was remembering, his memory started to become foggy, and he couldn't concentrate. "There was something about…conquering? – I can't remember it properly; it spoke to me, it said 'join us'. I think. I can't remember." Rythian's mind was a blur of purple obscuring his memories. He felt dizzy and put his hand on the door frame to steady himself.

"Was that all it said?" Duncan pressed, ignoring Rythian's obvious discomfort.

"I don't know! What are you expecting me to do about it anyway?" asked Rythian, "You said you need my help but it's not like I can stop it. I can hardly stop it from taking over my own head at times, for Notch's sake!" He glared at Duncan, with eyes like daggers.

Duncan looked impatient. "You know the End better than anyone else, so maybe you can figure out what's going on. You could at least try and help me."

Rythian burst out in anger, his eyes burning bright. "I am trying! You don't know how this feels! You don't have a voice in your head, crushing your thoughts and trying to take over your mind! All you do is sit in your stupid castle messing about with machines! You have no one to look after, no one you care about apart from yourself! Just get out of my house RIGHT NOW! Just GO! GET OUT! And don't even think about coming back!"

Rythian drew his katar and thrust it towards Duncan threateningly, forcing him backwards. Duncan turned and hurried out of the door and took off towards his castle as fast as his flying ring would let him. Rythian didn't turn his eyes away from him until he was no more than a speck in the distance. He was still fuming, his anger intensified by the Ender force that still weighed down on his mind. What Duncan had said seemed important though: the End in the Nether? It seemed impossible. _But you can feel it, can't you? You're just trying to ignore it. You're scared, _Rythian thought. He made a decision. He was going back to the Nether.

* * *

Zoey was outside with the mooshrooms, but she could still hear Rythian and Duncan's voices as angry mumbles. She sighed to herself, wishing they would just get along. It would make everything so much simpler. She jumped slightly when she heard Rythian's voice clearly, booming through Blackrock, and grimaced as she saw Duncan fleeing over the trees. She didn't want to leave the farm, but she thought she should go and calm Rythian down and walked reluctantly towards the front doors.

When Zoey entered the magic room, she was surprised to find Rythian with his head buried inside a chest, rummaging around. He looked up when he heard her enter, but looked back at the chest again without a word. After a while he seemed to find what he was looking for. He looked up again and Zoey could see that his eyes were still bright purple – not a good sign – and his jaw was clenched, his hands shaking a little.

"Are you OK?" Zoey queried cautiously.

"What do you think?" Rythian spat, but then regretted it and said in a calmer tone, "Sorry. I'm just…never mind."

"What are you looking for?" asked Zoey, as Rythian stuck his head in yet another chest.

"Weapons." Rythian answered. "And lots of them." But Zoey didn't think that was all.

"Why have you taken all of the ender pearls out of the chest? Usually you just leave them sitting at the bottom."

"I'm going to the Nether. I'll need them."

"Again? We went three weeks ago. Anyway, you're not going without me."

"No!" Rythian said immediately. "It's too dangerous."

"So you think I'm too weak to defend myself? And why is it more dangerous than any other time we've been? Also, you didn't need ender pearls last time we went to the Nether. What did Duncan tell you?"

Rythian stopped rummaging in chests and turned to Zoey. "There's something bad in the Nether, and I'm going to see what exactly it is."

"OK. Cool. I'm coming. Don't forget Sinder though."

Rythian realised he wasn't going to win the argument. "Yeah, I'll ask her if she wants to come. I doubt she will though – you saw how eager she was to get out of that place. I wish I knew why, but she won't talk about it. It's frustrating how secretive she is about it."

Zoey smirked. "Doesn't that remind you of anyone?" She said, raising her eyebrows at him.

"Yeah, yeah. OK. I guess I don't exactly publicise my past. I'm leaving soon – there's no point putting it off – so can you go and make sure Sinder doesn't want to come?"

Zoey obliged and left to find Sinder. She was nervous though: if Rythian was scared of something, then, judging from experience, she should be too.


	6. Apprentice

**Here's chapter 6, finally! Sorry it's been so long since 5, but hopefully I'll be releasing the next few quite quickly. (No promises)**

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The sun was setting as Duncan found his way back to his castle. His mind was trying to make sense of his conversation with Rythian. Endermen in the Nether? He didn't think it had been that serious before. He was so deep in thought that when he reached his castle he slammed into the window, jolting him back to reality. It also caused the person on the other side to drop whatever they were holding and look up sharply. It was a girl, around the same age as the girl at Blackrock, with dark hair and bright blue eyes.

Duncan only had a second to look at her before she was gone. He flew over the wall of the castle to see her running into the courtyard before sprinting towards the open gate. _Dammit! I must have left it open, _thought Duncan, as he flew down to stop the mysterious girl from escaping. He landed right in front of her and blocked her path as she tried to run.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Just let me go and I won't bother you!" She cried, seeming desperate to escape.

"Don't worry – I'm not going to harm you. I just want to know who the hell you are and why you were messing with my stuff!" Duncan's voice got louder as he got angrier. Who did this girl think she was, walking into his house and tampering with his machines?

"I'm really, really sorry. I was going to just come and see you, but you weren't there and the gate was open. I just looked inside, but I saw the computer and I couldn't resist seeing it up close. I just got carried away." The girl did look genuinely sorry, and Duncan relaxed. He understood her curiosity, and was quite impressed by her interest in science. He didn't want to scare her away before they got a chance to talk.

"OK. I guess I can forgive you, as long as you didn't change anything or steal any of my stuff."

"No. No I left everything exactly how I found it." She replied quickly.

"Uh…so…what did you come here for anyway?"

"I heard about you, and how amazing you are at science stuff. I thought maybe you could teach me…" The girl trailed off and dropped her gaze to her feet. Duncan was taken aback. This girl wanted to learn from him? He didn't know how to respond.

"Well…sure!" He replied, "I mean, I'll try and teach you some things, but I don't know if I'd be a good teacher. I've never really had to explain any of this stuff to anyone before."

"Great! I mean, thanks, a lot. My name's Ria by the way."

"Cool name. Why don't we get started straight away? You could tell me what you know already; why don't I give you a tour and you can tell me what you don't understand as we go round."

Duncan was already taking a liking to Ria: she seemed honest and trustworthy. She also seemed to admire him, which was always a good thing. Knowing himself that he was very knowledgeable about science, Duncan wanted to prove how good he was by managing to teach someone else to the same standard. He figured having an apprentice would be perfect, although it would take some time to get used to having someone else around.

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Ria was grinning to herself, hardly able to conceal her excitement. Duncan could teach her everything. Ever since she was young she had loved science, and everything about it. There had just never been anyone to teach her. She hadn't thought Duncan would let her stay, especially after she effectively broke into his house. She had been certain she had ruined her chances.

After she and Duncan had toured half of the castle, they stopped for a while beside the computer which controlled the door and went over all of the things he had taught her so far.

"…and they send a signal to the ones with the same frequency, triggering the individual parts of the railgun. I think that's right."

"Yep! You learn pretty fast. At this rate you'll be teaching me by the end of the year." Duncan seemed impressed by how much she had managed to take in, but Ria was just determined to prove to him she was worth his teaching efforts.

"I'm really grateful for this, you know."

"Yeah, well, it's good to have someone else around. I never realised before how quiet it is here, even with all the machines." Duncan said as they sat down together inside. "So, where have you come from to get here? I know absolutely nothing about you other than your name, and that you are a natural scientist." The question caught Ria off-guard. She wasn't anticipating questions about her past and didn't want to answer any. She tried to answer as vaguely as possible without seeming suspicious.

"I lived in a small village quite far away from here for most of my life. Then…something happened…and I had to leave. We-I wandered through the world for a few years, before I came here. I heard about an amazing scientist who lived in a castle, and thought I could learn something from him. Turns out he's a nice guy."

Duncan smiled at the complement and replied, "You're not too bad yourself. It's getting late. How about we leave the rest of the castle for tomorrow, and I'll show you to—" He stopped mid-sentence and slapped his hand to his forehead. "I've never had guests stay overnight before. I don't have an extra bed! I'll just find some wool and some wood and make you one quickly. Sorry about this…"

Ria giggled to herself as she watched Duncan get flustered and look in all the wrong chests before finding the right materials. Once the bed was made he took her to one of the empty rooms and placed it down.

"I know this room is dull, but we can decorate it tomorrow." Duncan said as he placed a redstone lamp beside the bed, a lever on top. "Goodnight then." He left the room hurriedly - obviously embarrassed - and Ria lay down on the bed, letting out a sigh of content. For the first time in months, she was genuinely happy.

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**So now there are two OCs in this story! As always, please review - it lets me know that this story is worth writing, and it'll make me write chapters more frequently.**


	7. In the Little Wood

Jay stared deeply into the flickering fire, watching sparks fly as the wood crackled and spat. Sitting isolated in the forest, he smiled. He was happy, for although he was alone, he did not feel it. As he watched the flames will the darkness away, he could hear birds chirping quietly to each other; the rustling of leaves as a sheep wandered by. Flickering shadows danced at the edges of the clearing, the flames illuminating the area. Jay wished he could sit with his thoughts beside the fire for longer, but the night was deepening and hostile mobs would soon rise out of the black depths.

Climbing up vines he had placed on a nearby tree, he lay down underneath the silhouetted foliage, closed his eyes, and waited for sleep to come. Jay found he could be most relaxed when he was surrounded by nature – all of the complicated machinery he had seen made him feel uncomfortable, the lifeless components draining. In the forest he felt enlivened; he felt free.

Just as he had drifted off to sleep, Jay jolted awake. He had heard a sound coming from directly below him. It definitely wasn't an animal – it was too loud. He peered cautiously through the leaves below him and saw two figures illuminated by the light of a single torch, staring puzzled at the remains of his fire from the night before. Taking care not to make a sound, Jay lowered himself onto the bottommost branches of the tree and listened to their muted conversation.

"Martyn, they must still be close: this fire is still slightly warm." One of them said.

"Yeah, but who would be in these woods and not come and say hi to us?" Replied the one called Martyn, a puzzled look on his face.

"I don't know. Rythian maybe, but then again he wouldn't need to light a fire."

Jay's heart was beating fast. He didn't know whether these people would be aggressive towards him or what they would do, but didn't want to cause any trouble, and he didn't want to leave them confused. He decided to let himself known to the strangers, and dropped down from the tree.

"Um, hi." he said timidly, and they turned around suddenly, surprised by his voice.

"Oh. Hello." The one who wasn't Martyn said, seeming to start to speak again at the end, but then deciding to stay silent, unsure what to say to Jay.

"I'm sorry if I'm not meant to be here or something. I'll leave if you want." Jay continued.

"No, no, that's alright. We were just wondering who could have been here – usually if someone came to this forest they would come to see us. I haven't seen you around before. Are you new to this place?" Martyn asked, "And how old are you? You seem a bit young to be out here on your own."

"I'm ten, and I haven't been here long. I just stay in the forest; it feels like home to me, wherever it is."

Martyn smiled. "Yeah, I know what you mean there. But it just doesn't seem safe – a ten year old alone, wherever they are. Oh, by the way, my name's Martyn and this is Toby."

Jay didn't know how to reply, so he stood awkwardly facing the pair. "I can defend myself if I have to. I have a slingshot that I made, and it's been fine so far."

Toby spoke up, clearly worried about Jay's safety as much as Martyn. "Look, why don't you come back to our camp. Even if you don't want to stay we can at least figure out how to keep you safe, and maybe give you some armour in case you get into trouble."

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They all agreed that Jay would stay at the camp for a while, and if he didn't like it he was free to leave at any time. Martyn thought Jay seemed like a nice kid; perfectly capable of looking after himself. He and Toby showed him around InTheLittleCorp quickly, promising that they would explain everything better in the morning, and gave him a bed for the night.

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**Sorry this is a very short chapter, but I just wanted to introduce all of my OPs**


	8. Back to the Nether

Sinder most definitely did not want to go back to the Nether. She'd had enough of that place; the thought of the never ending tunnels of red made her shiver with disgust. Yet, she felt attached to the place, in a strange inexplicable way. She knew she would have to go back sometime, but she wasn't ready for that, not after such a short time away.

Rythian and Zoey were leaving, trusting her to keep Blackrock safe. Sinder had never been trusted before: in the Nether everyone fought for themselves, the pigmen fighting back to eliminate any threat when one of their own was disturbed, wither skeletons and blazes defending their fortresses, ghasts being mischievous, destructive and generally just annoying. No one trusted anyone else in the Nether, and it was a new feeling for Sinder. She liked it.

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"Zoey? Are you ready to go?" Rythian called.

"Yeah, I'm just coming." Zoey replied as she made her way to the front door. They made sure they had everything they needed before setting off towards the portal. It was a short journey, as they both used their flying rings, and they didn't hesitate before jumping between through the obsidian gateway.

The change hit the pair even as the world materialised around them. No longer was the Nether the scorching maze of fire it had been before. The constant wailing of ghasts, the groaning of pigmen, was silenced by the mute noise of the End. It invaded every corner, somehow present yet invisible, but all around nevertheless. At least to Rythian, this was how it seemed. He stumbled as he felt the force of it, that indescribable feeling, which made him angry; made him want to scream into the void that encompassed his mind.

He turned to Zoey, expecting a look of anxiety on her face, but saw only confusion. He then remembered that she wouldn't feel any of it – of course not – she had no connection to them. Trying to ignore the power, which seemed very much focused towards him, he looked around for any physical signs of change, and only then did he realise the source of Zoey's confusion.

All around were purple wisps: the ones that appear around endermen. They were just floating around in the air, seemingly without purpose, but Rythian suspected they were there for a specific reason. The End craved power, never satisfied with what it had. Every day Rythian fought an internal battle to keep his mind his own; to prevent the End from taking his power for its own. Another change which was quite subtle, yet obvious once noticed was that the random fires dotting the landscape were all extinguished. Only the giant lakes of lava remained, but even the flowing pillars of magma that fed them had disappeared.

"Rythian, what happened? Why is there no fire? Why is it all weird and purple? Aaahh!" Zoey squealed as an enderman teleported in front of them, then teleported away again, out of sight.

"I…I don't know…It's got something to do with _them_. That I'm certain of, but what they want…well I can only guess it's more power…" Rythian spoke quietly, almost to himself, and Zoey stared back at him impatiently.

"What are you talking about?" Zoey exclaimed. "Please explain it so I have an idea of what's going on."

"I don't-it's hard to explain: I don't even know what it is really. It's a sort of sense, a sense of them…it…whatever. OK. The End is taking over the Nether. That much I can understand. I don't know why, or how, but I do know that we should get the hell out of here right now. It's not safe. Get back to the portal, come on." He turned around abruptly and strode across the land as quickly as he could. Zoey had to run to keep up with him as she followed him back out through the portal.

Back in the normal world, Rythian didn't even pause to check if Zoey had followed him. He took off towards Blackrock as fast as he could. Zoey called to him, but got no response; she followed him back, still not quite knowing why he had responded so badly to being in the Nether. They arrived at their home in no time, due to their flying rings, and called out to Sinder when they stepped through the front door.

"Sinder!" Zoey shouted, her voice echoing through the decorated rooms. "Sinder, we're back!"

"Sinder?" Rythian called up the stairs, a shadow of concern beginning to appear on his face. "Sinder where are you?" Zoey was surprised – she had thought Rythian didn't like Sinder much, or at least didn't fully trust her.

"Sinder! Are you here?" Zoey called yet again, but there was no response. Sinder was gone.


End file.
